Letter-opener



` liter-ree Trains Parenti @erica Ls'rrsafleeariee. l

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters. atent. No. 414,886, datedNovember 12, 1889.

Application tiled January 2l, 1889. Serial Ne.f297,072. (No model.) A

1b @Z6 wir/om, [t may concern.'

.lle 'it known that l, \Y1L'IJAM R. MORSE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident` of Chicago,-in the county of (look and State ofillinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Letter()peners,of which the followingl is a specification. n

My invention relates to devices for cutting or opening envelopigls, andhas t'or its object to provide convenient moans for so doing. Thisobject, I accomplish by means ot' the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanyiner drawings, whereinltigure ly is a plan view. Fig. il is aside view, and Fig. i3 is a vertical cross-section.

Like parts are indicated hy the sameletier in all the figures. f

A is a bed containing the receptacle ll.

(i t5 are standards adjustahly secured to the hed hy means ol thevertical slots i) l) and bolts li lil. 4Un these standards are pivoiedthe roughened roller F, hai me; at one end the pinion G, and on one ofthem isjonrnaled the driving' gea1-wlieel ll, having the crank-hamlle J.'lhe gear and pinion intermesh, so that hy the rotation et the formerthe latter, with its roller, is driven. The snrlace o' this roller isroughencd or toothed, or provided with a tile-finish, as indicated.Along the npwardly-projecting edges of the sides ci the bed are theledges L L, whiehengage the grooves in the sides of the sliding Vframe'.ihe hed is provided with a cover 0, which forms a bottom for thefranieN, and is provided with a slot I), througlr'whieh projects theupper edge of the roller F.' The frame is provided with a slidingcross-piece or false side R, secured on the end of a rod t5,

which passes through a guide '.l inthe iront ,1 ot' the frame, and isheld in any desired position bythe set-screw! 'lhe hcarinfY of thegear-wheel is vertically adinsiahie @n my standard C by means of theslots and loolts without departingr from the spirit of my invention.jusicd by vertically adjusting the standards on which it is pivoted orjonrnaled, and the lThe height of the roller can he adthe use ofdifferent sizes of wheels and to adt just the distance of the gear-wheelfrom the pinion.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows: When a package ofenvelopes has been received ,through the mail contain^ ing mail-matter,and it -is desired to open them rapidly and without destroying or disiiiguring the envelopes, they are placed within the frame, their edgessolidly down upon thehottom thereof, llere they are squeezedv into a'compact mass hy moving up the slide or false side, and in this conditionthey are firmly secured by setting the set-screw Us ihe frame is thenmoved up until the bottoni of such package of envelopes is brought; intocontact with the upwardly-prejecting edge oi the roller. This roller isset rapidly Ain n'iotion hy means of the crank and wheel; and thepackage of envelopes is forced along.

over the saine. In this process the lower edges ol' the envelopes areworn off and thus 'the entire package of envelopes opened.

l claim as new and desire to secure by Letiiers Patent p l. Aletter-opener provided with a. rotating rougiiened roller which engagesthe edges of the envelopes.

2. A letter-opener provided with a rotating roughened roller, incombination with a mov-y able letter-traine which passes thereover.

il. A letter-opener provided- With a bed, a` rughened roller jonrnaiedthereon, and `a sliding letter-frame supported Ithereon.

i. A letter-opener provided with a bed, a rotating roughened rollerjournaled thereon, and a sliding letter-frame movable thereon and itselfprovided with a clamp to compress said letters int-oa mass. y

5. letter-opener provlrlil willi :I leitercmn press-ing trarnecontaining a reciprocating slide, a ,bed whose top forms the -bottom ofsaid frame, and a ronghened rota-ting roller which projects through saidbottom, the i'rame adapted to slide on the bed and carry the envelopesover the feller.

I3. in a letter-opener, the combination of a S false bottomletter-containing bed with n roughened roller vertically adjustablejournaled thereon7 and a Sliding lettercontaining frame thereon.

7. In -wletter-opener, tho combination of :L frame having grooved sides,withahedhavingledges which are received into such grooves and along'which such frune slides, and :i rotating roughenecl roller on such bedin the path of such frame and the letter it contains.

' Dated this 17th dayof January, 1889.

WILLA R. MORSE. Witnesses:

CELESTE P. CHAPMAN, FRANCIS M. IRELAND.

